Gas Sweetening

Definition - What does Gas Sweetening mean?

Sour gas or acid gas is a natural gas that contains hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The removal of H2S by using various aqueous solutions of akylamines, commonly referred to as amines, is known as gas sweetening.

This process of gas sweetening is sometimes called amine treating or amine scrubbing.

Safeopedia explains Gas Sweetening

The gas sweetening process results in a product that no longer has the sour and foul odors of H2S. Since this process does not recover the sulfur in elemental form, it must be followed by a sulfur recovery step.

This process is frequently used in refineries, petrochemical plants, and natural gas processing plants. Instead of using amines to remove H2S from sour gas, membrane technology can be employed. However, membrane separation requires higher capital and operating costs, which makes it a less financially feasible option.